Passport Statistics: The Number of American Passports Issued and in Circulation

The number of Americans who obtained passports increased more than 300%
between 1974 and 2004. Although 9/11 had an impact on the number of
passport applications processed in 2002, the effect did not last long.
The number of passports issued continued to increase until 2007. That year witnessed the issuance of the greatest number of passport due to the introduction of the Western Hempisphere Travel Initiative.
There
was a decrease in the number of passports issued in 2008 and again in
2009. The last four years have witnessed a gradual increase in the number of passport issued. Passport Services expects a significant increase this year and next since passports issued in 2007 are coming up for renewal.

Number of American Passports in Circulation

The number of American passports in circulation is constantly
changing as new passports are issued and old ones expire or damaged
ones are cancelled. While the number of passports issued has gone up and down
over the past several years, the number of valid passports in
circulation has only continued to increase.